Voters guide to candidates for Attorney General, Auditor General and Treasurer

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As part of a statewide effort to educate about candidates and their positions on issues important to Catholic voters, the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference (PCC) sent a questionnaire to candidates for state attorney general, auditor general, and treasurer to give them the opportunity to make their positions known on key issues. The answers they provided are listed here for educational purposes only; the PCC does not endorse candidates for political office.

What is your position on legislation that would provide direct grants to parents to choose the schools that they believe are best suited for their children, including nonpublic schools?

ATTORNEY GENERAL

FREED (R) Support

KANE (D) Did Not Respond

MURPHY (D) Did Not Respond

BAILEY (D) Did Not Respond

AUDITOR GENERAL

PINTO (R) Support

MAHER (R) Support*

*Proven voting record!

DEPASQUALE (D) Did Not Respond

TREASURER

IREY VAUGHAN (R) Support*

*Funding should follow students to the schools chosen by their parents. I believe that a student focus will improve education in PA by creating competition and driving schools, both public and private, to improve in order to attract and retain students.

MCCORD (D) Did Not Respond

Do you support or oppose embryonic stem cell research?

ATTORNEY GENERAL

FREED (R) Oppose

KANE (D) Did Not Respond

MURPHY (D) Did Not Respond

BAILEY (D) Did Not Respond

AUDITOR GENERAL

PINTO (R) Oppose

MAHER (R) Oppose

DEPASQUALE (D) Did Not Respond

TREASURER

IREY VAUGHAN (R) Oppose*

*Research that harms or destroys human embryos is unethical and immoral. Promising alternatives exist and can be pursued.

MCCORD (D) Did Not Respond

What is your position on amending the Pennsylvania Constitution to define marriage as the union between one man and one woman?

ATTORNEY GENERAL

FREED (R) Support

KANE (D) Did Not Respond

MURPHY (D) Did Not Respond

BAILEY (D) Did Not Respond

AUDITOR GENERAL

PINTO (R) Support

MAHER (R) Support

DEPASQUALE (D) Did Not Respond

TREASURER

IREY VAUGHAN (R) Support*

*Marriage between one man and one woman is not only the natural basis for the family but the foundation of society. I support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage from alternative agendas.

MCCORD (D) Did Not Respond

Which statement reflects your position most accurately?

a. I do not oppose legalized abortion.

b. I oppose legalized abortion in all circumstances.

c. I oppose legalized abortion, except when the life of the mother is in danger.

d. I oppose legalized abortion, except when the life of the mother is in danger or the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

FREED (R) d.

KANE (D) Did Not Respond

MURPHY (D) Did Not Respond

BAILEY (D) Did Not Respond

AUDITOR GENERAL

PINTO (R) Did Not Indicate

MAHER (R) c.

DEPASQUALE (D) Did Not Respond

TREASURER

IREY VAUGHAN (R) b.*

*I believe that our laws should respect and protect the humanity of unborn children.

MCCORD (D) Did Not Respond

Do you support or oppose legislation that would add state restrictions to existing federal prohibitions concerning the hiring of undocumented immigrants or the provision of healthcare or government services to the undocumented?

ATTORNEY GENERAL

FREED (R) Support

KANE (D) Did Not Respond

MURPHY (D) Did Not Respond

BAILEY (D) Did Not Respond

AUDITOR GENERAL

PINTO (R) Support

MAHER (R) Did Not Indicate*

* These are two separate questions.

DEPASQUALE (D) Did Not Respond

TREASURER

IREY VAUGHAN (R) Support*

*We have a responsibility to the taxpayers we serve to ensure that both the laws of our nation and the Commonwealth are enforced and that those participating in government programs and services are eligible.

MCCORD (D) Did Not Respond

What is your position on the death penalty?

ATTORNEY GENERAL

FREED (R) Support*

*As a District Attorney and career prosecutor, I believe the death penalty is appropriate.

KANE (D) Did Not Respond

MURPHY (D) Did Not Respond

BAILEY (D) Did Not Respond

AUDITOR GENERAL

PINTO (R) Support

MAHER (R) Support

DEPASQUALE (D) Did Not Respond

TREASURER

IREY VAUGHAN (R) Support*

*PA law clearly defines death penalty criteria and provides for the necessary safeguards to protect the rights of individuals. It is both a necessary and appropriate penalty for society’s most heinous crimes.

MCCORD (D) Did Not Respond

What is your position on restoring state funding to the Homeowners Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP) which provides low-interest loans to homeowners facing possible foreclosure through no fault of their own?

ATTORNEY GENERAL

FREED (R) Support

KANE (D) Did Not Respond

MURPHY (D) Did Not Respond

BAILEY (D) Did Not Respond

AUDITOR GENERAL

PINTO (R) Support

MAHER (R) Support

DEPASQUALE (D) Did Not Respond

TREASURER

IREY VAUGHAN (R) Did Not Indicate*

*While HEMAP has been successful since its inception in 1983, PA’s current fiscal realities require leaders to make tough funding decisions in order to balance the budget. Funding for discretionary programs, like HEMAP, should be evaluated during each budget process.

MCCORD (D) Did Not Respond

What is your position on legislation requiring employers to provide employee benefits to which they are morally opposed, for example, mandating coverage for contraceptives or benefits to same-sex partners of employees?

ATTORNEY GENERAL

FREED (R) Oppose

KANE (D) Did Not Respond

MURPHY (D) Did Not Respond

BAILEY (D) Did Not Respond

AUDITOR GENERAL

PINTO (R) Oppose

MAHER (R) Oppose

DEPASQUALE (D) Did Not Respond

TREASURER

IREY VAUGHAN (R) Oppose*

*I believe that it is unjust and contrary to the First Amendment to mandate that private employers, especially religious organizations, provide benefits to which they are morally opposed.

MCCORD (D) Did Not Respond

Which statement reflects your position most accurately?

a. Religious childcare and pre-kindergarten providers should be subject to government review of educational content.

b. Religious childcare and pre-kindergarten providers should follow state standards for health and safety of children, but be free to determine their own educational content based on the teachings of their faith tradition.

c. Religious childcare and pre-k providers should be free from government regulation.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

FREED (R) b.

KANE (D) Did Not Respond

MURPHY (D) Did Not Respond

BAILEY (D) Did Not Respond

AUDITOR GENERAL

PINTO (R) b.

MAHER (R) b.

DEPASQUALE (D) Did Not Respond

TREASURER

IREY VAUGHAN (R) b.

MCCORD (D) Did Not Respond

Do you support or oppose legislation that would restrict taxpayer funding of abortion in Pennsylvania’s health insurance exchange created by the federal health care reform law?

ATTORNEY GENERAL

FREED (R) Support

KANE (D) Did Not Respond

MURPHY (D) Did Not Respond

BAILEY (D) Did Not Respond

AUDITOR GENERAL

PINTO (R) Support

MAHER (R) Support

DEPASQUALE (D) Did Not Respond

TREASURER

IREY VAUGHAN (R) Support

MCCORD (D) Did Not Respond

What is your position on legislation that forces health care providers to provide, pay for or refer for services contrary to their conscience for moral or religious reasons?

ATTORNEY GENERAL

FREED (R) Oppose

KANE (D) Did Not Respond

MURPHY (D) Did Not Respond

BAILEY (D) Did Not Respond

AUDITOR GENERAL

PINTO (R) Oppose

MAHER (R) Oppose

DEPASQUALE (D) Did Not Respond

TREASURER

IREY VAUGHAN (R) Oppose

MCCORD (D) Did Not Respond

Do you support or oppose increased funding for Educational Improvement Tax Credits (EITC) where the state budget includes an increase in public school funding?

ATTORNEY GENERAL

FREED (R) Support

KANE (D) Did Not Respond

MURPHY (D) Did Not Respond

BAILEY (D) Did Not Respond

AUDITOR GENERAL

PINTO (R) Support

MAHER (R) Support

DEPASQUALE (D) Did Not Respond

TREASURER

IREY VAUGHAN (R) Support*

*EITC is an extremely successful and important tool in improving education in PA and providing educational choice for middle- and low-income families.